What Becomes of The Broken Hearted?
by thexlightxwithinxthexdarkness
Summary: Takes place right after Kingdom Hearts II. Having made a promise to a girl he hardly knows, Riku sets out with Sora and Kairi to find her. When they do, all may not be as it seems... .:Sora/Kairi...:Riku/OC:.
1. Prologue: The Mission

khgirl1770: Yay!! My first story!  
Riku: Are you always this excited?  
khgirl1770: SHUT UP! I have a right to be excited! You were the one that was complaining that I never write any stories about you!  
Sora: Yeah, for once, you're not writing a story about me...  
khgirl1770: SORA!! (tackles him)  
Riku: Okayyyyy...

_Disclaimer:_If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would have had Roxas and Namine be their own separate people, Kairi and Sora wouldn't have all those fluffy hugging scenes, and Riku would actually be with somebody instead of being just the "best friend". So much for my plans...

_Just in case any complications rise up...Yes, this WAS originally a one shot. I have now turned it into the preface for this story. You can skip it if you want to--but the story will make a LOT more sense if you read it. Well, the beginning will anyway..._

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_There she was, his target. Not one of the Seven Princesses, of course, this girl's heart was truly more valuable. It could not be taken by force, like Kairi's. Apparently, this girl's heart could only be taken by someone she loved. Someone she trusted with all her being. True, when Maleficent had first explained this to Riku, he didn't understand. Maleficent had scoffed and dismissed the matter. His only task was to bring the girl back...the witch hadn't specified on the conditions. Riku sighed, a gust of wind blowing his silver hair around his face. The young girl--well, not that young--she looked to be about fifteen, was walking around the Second District of Traverse Town, blithely unaware of the fact that someone was watching her, plotting her eventual demise. Riku scanned her closely--noticing two .45 caliber pistols strapped to her waist. Several magazines also adorned the holster belt, ready when necessary. This girl wasn't going down without a fight. Her short black miniskirt swayed from side to side as she walked, and the bright look that shone from her eyes made Riku's heart ache. It was the same look that Kairi used to have. He gritted his teeth as he remembered the purpose of his entire journey. To save Kairi. He stood up from the rooftop, and took a deep breath as he prepared for what he was about to do. I have to do this. Even if she is pretty cute, I have to save Kairi. Whatever it takes. Riku jumped down, landing on his feet, one hand touching the ground. He had landed ten feet away from the unsuspecting girl, a perfect distance to start a battle._

_"Going somewhere so soon?"_

_The young girl froze at the sound of his voice, spinning around to face Riku's dark figure. The two guns strapped to her waist suddenly appeared in her hands, loaded and waiting her command. Her definitely layered auburn colored hair framed her face lovingly, and her butterscotch colored eyes narrowed as she focused them on the fifteen year old boy._

_"Who are you?"_

_The voice that emanated from the girl's mouth resembled light wind-chimes, and memories of long summer days on Destiny Islands flooded Riku's mind; he pushed them back with great difficulty._

_"That's what I should be asking you."_

_Summoning his newly acquired Keyblade, Soul Eater, Riku readied himself for a battle, one that he was not sure he was ready for. A small smile formed on the girl's lips, and to Riku's astonishment, she placed both of the guns back in their holsters, and took deliberately slow steps towards him. Riku lowered his Keyblade hesitantly: who knew what she was planning? Strangely, this girl didn't seem afraid of him. Why? When she reached him, she brought her face closer to his, and he could only blink, frozen to the spot. She suddenly leaned away from Riku, a confused look on her face._

_"Twilight."_

_Riku drew his eyebrows together in confusion. "Excuse me?"_

_"The path you've chosen. Twilight. Not light, and not dark, but in between."_

_"You're kidding me, right? My heart is full of darkness. No matter how hard I look, there is _**_no_**_ light there whatsoever. I chose the darkness a long time ago."_

_"You're wrong."_

_"Since when are you the one to tell me that?"_

_"I'm not. I can only lead you towards your destiny. You're the one that has to make the choice."_

_"Look, no matter who you are or what you say, like it or not, you're coming with me." Riku raised his Keyblade again, a hard look on his face. But the feeling of wanting to complete his mission so desperately seemed to have vanished as soon as this girl had spoken to him for the first time. Instead of the usual feeling of darkness that overshrouded his mind and heart, he felt hope...and light. The smile from before seemed plastered on the girl's face, and she turned away from Riku, intent on leaving. That wish was shattered when a firm grip encircled her wrist, and she twirled around gracefully, a look of pure anger on her face to 'kindly' ask this boy to let go of her. His aqua colored eyes pierced through her own; they seemed to look down into her very soul. He finally let go of her, dismissed his Keyblade, crossed his arms over his chest, and...smiled._

_She tilted her head to one side, confused at his reaction._

_"We're not as different as we think."_

_The young girl soon smiled back, and raised herself up on her toes to whisper into the silver-haired boy's ear._

_"Since when are you the one to tell me that, Riku?"_

_A gasp escaped his lips as he drew his face back from this girl...this stranger. But she was gone. There was no trace of her...anywhere. Except for a small crystal heart shaped pendant that rested in Riku's hand. He gazed at it, confused, when a voice rang through his mind._

_"We will meet again, I promise..."_

_His heart swelled in his chest as he heard her. Riku's hand closed around the pendant and he closed his eyes, smiling yet again. "I'm holding you to that...Takara."_

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Reviews are appreciated!! :D


	2. Chapter I: The Letter

khgirl1770: Welp, (jeez, now I sound like King Mickey...), I've finally decided to turn that oneshot I published into a story. The idea of Riku and this OC together was just too much to pass up! (shudder) Unfortch, that means I have to put Sora and Kairi together. (sigh) Don't get me wrong, those characters aren't so bad (I ADORE SORA!!), it's just I don't like the pairing...

Anyway, I hope you all like the story and hmm...I don't really have an update "schedule" but I'll try to update as fast as I can. I've already gotten the second chapter halfway done!

P.S. Never written a Riku/OC story before so forgive me if I'm a little off on his character...

_(flash) Remember all those promises you made?"_

"_Listen, I'm sorry, T--" (flash)_

_(flash) "You can't catch me, Kairi! I'm the fastest girl in Hollow Bastion!" _

"_Hehe, you're so overconfident, T--! First one to the castle wins! Ready? GO!" (flash)_

_(flash) "So Kairi, do you remember anything about your home world?"_

"_Riku, I've told you, I don't—hmm...you know, there was this girl, my best friend. We used to race through the town all the time..."_

"_What was her name?"_

"_I can't remember...Toshi...Toshiba...Oh! Tak--" (flash)_

_(flash) "Riku, you're insane! How do you expect to find this one girl? Using your newfound 'powers of darkness'?"_

"_That's not any of your concern, Sora. Instead of worrying about that, you should be asking...about her." (flash)_

_(flash) "Why are you so set on finding her?"_

"_Because, DiZ. I feel...that she can help me overcome this darkness."_

"_But you've only seen her through Kairi's memories. And not to mention in Trav--"_

"_Does it matter?" (flash) (1)_

_(flash) "We will meet again, Riku. I promise."_

"_I'm holding you to that...T--" (flash) (1)_

**...A year and a half later...**

"Riku? Hey, Riku!"

"Huh?" The sixteen year old platinum haired boy snapped out of the current daze he was in. He averted his attention back to Sora and Kairi, noticing the distressed looks on both of their faces. Sora smiled his cheesy grin. "Man, you zoned out there for a second! What's on your mind?" Riku rolled his eyes. "Nothing." Kairi jumped down from the paopu tree, her violet eyes locked on Riku's minty green ones. "If it's that girl you're thinking about...I have something to tell you." Kairi reached into the small purple bag hitched to her waist, pulling out a tightly rolled scroll bearing the King's seal. Handing it to Riku, she spoke softly. "I wasn't sure whether or not to give this to you." Riku's eyes scanned over the parchment, darting from line to line.

_Dear Sora, Riku, and Kairi,_

_It seems we have another problem on our hands. No, not the Organization. Just the other day, a girl appeared at the castle, around sixteen years of age. She is not technically a Keyblade wielder, but she can possess one for a short amount of time. She says she knows Kairi. And for some reason, as soon as she arrived, a huge mass of Heartless threatened to invade my castle. I held them back, along with her help. But I can't do it forever. I am truly sorry about this, but I need to see the three of you right away. Donald and Goofy will arrive soon to pick you up._

_Sincerely,_

_ King Mickey_

Handing the scroll over to Sora, Riku's aquamarine eyes once again locked on Kairi's violet ones. "This could be her. You know that, right?"

"Something in my heart is telling me it is. I know it. Riku...how do you know her, anyways?"

"I was sent on a mission. Maleficent. She ordered me to capture her, but I...couldn't. For two reasons. Something inside me told me not to, and second, she disappeared before I could do anything. I've been hoping she'll show up for all this time." Riku's hand slipped inside his pocket, feeling the charm necklace he had kept there for over a year and a half. _I might finally be able to give this back to her..._

Sora looked up, stashing the letter in his own pocket, a determined look on his face. Riku and Kairi looked at each other and sighed. This was bound to be another long journey...

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(1) Just checking...you read the prologue, right? :D


	3. Chapter II: Takara

The walls of Disney Castle were still as bright as they had been when Riku had first laid eyes on them. After an_exciting_ reunion with Donald and Goofy, the mage and the knight led the group of friends through the winding castle corridors, climbing up an alarming number of stairs before finally stopping in front of a ceiling to floor length door, sealed with an unbreakable force of magic. Sora tilted his head to the side, turning to Donald. "If this is a barrier, then how are we supposed to get in?"

The duck raised one eyebrow and smiled. "Like this!" Donald took a deep breath, before yelling in an extremely loud voice, "TAKARA!! THERE'S SOMEONE HERE TO SEE YOU!!"

Sora whispered to Riku: "Do you really think she--"

"COMING!" The pinkish violet magical barrier flickered for a moment, then finally dissipated into thin shards of glass, floating towards the sky. The door cracked open, revealing a very angry sixteen year old girl. "Jeez, Donald! Do you have to be so loud?" Takara crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her right foot impatiently.

"Taki, it's so good to see you!" Kairi stepped forward, a huge grin on her face, with tears in her eyes. "Look, I'm flattered, really, but—KAIRI!? Is—it really you?" A smile of equal proportions appeared on Takara's face as she ran forward to embrace her long lost friend. Both girls laughed with delight as they hugged, tears streaming down both of their faces. "Kai, you've grown!"

"I could say the same for you, Taki! How old are you now, sixteen?"

"You know it! Oh my gosh, Kai, I've missed you!" Takara let go of her best friend and focused her eyes on Donald, glaring at him. "What?"

"Why didn't you tell me she was coming!?"

"Hey, don't look at me! The King wanted it to be a surprise." Takara muttered something under her breath, but Kairi was quick to alleviate the tension growing between them all. "Taki, these are my two best friends, Sora..." Kairi pointed towards the fifteen year old blue eyed, brown haired boy, a sweet smile plastered on his face at the reunion he had just witnessed. "Hiya!" The ever-so popular cheesy grin that everyone knew Sora for lit up his face at that moment, causing Takara to smile. "...and Riku." There was a bit of hesitation in Kairi's voice as she said the other boy's name, and something in Takara's heart ached a bit when she heard it. Takara looked up shyly to meet the other boy's eyes...and a startled and angry gasp escaped her lips as she realized who it was. "You! I remember you! You were that boy!" Riku chuckled a bit at the way she referred to him, but a half-smile formed on his lips as his aquamarine eyes met the girl's butterscotch ones. She glared at him violently, withdrawing her two pistols strapped to her waist in the process. The guns clicked almost anxiously as the young girl aimed them at Riku. Her eyes narrowed, a hateful expression crossing her face. "What's so funny, Key-boy?"

Riku's lips turned down into a frown at that comment, and his eyes became icy. He summoned his Keyblade, placing it across his body, tensed for a fight. "Nothing. Just the fact that a girl with two guns is gonna try to kill me in a few seconds. That's all."

Sora, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy ran out between the two of them, hands outstretched. "Come on you guys, we just got here, and you're already fighting?" Sora animatedly waved his arms around as he spoke. Kairi cast a stern glance at her best friend. Riku dismissed his Keyblade, a cold expression still locked on his face. "Takara, put the guns down now." (1)

Takara's eyes narrowed even further, a scowl crossing her mouth. "No. Not until he apologizes for what he's done." She jerked her head in Riku's direction. Riku took a step back, a furious expression on his face. "What EXACTLY have I done?"

The gun-wielder took a deep breath, and spoke through clenched teeth. "Because of you, I have become number one on every villain's hit list on the face of the known worlds. Not only do you cause my inevitable death sentence, you exploit my power to EVERYONE! I have been chased from world to world by so many CREEPS that I have lost count! I can't even go HOME! I've been kicked off my throne like some commoner!! AND YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO COME HERE AND ASK ME WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!" The guns now shook in her hands, and Riku cringed slightly at the sight of them.

_I wonder...if she'd really do it...I wonder if she'd kill me..._

Suddenly, Takara's grip loosened from the handle of her weapons and she let them fall to the ground with a thud. Everyone winced at the sound, half expecting them to go off. When they didn't, Takara looked at everyone, including Riku, with a heartbreaking expression. A half-smile formed on her lips, but her eyes conveyed so much sadness...and pain. She laughed slightly, and her eyes locked with Riku's.

"The safety was on. Did you really think I'd shoot you?" She turned away, facing the long stretch of hallway before her. "Why would I use them...when I have...this?" A bright flash of light emanated from her right hand, and Riku raised his hand up to his eyes in order to shield them from the blinding brightness. (2) When he lowered it, he was shocked at what he saw. A maroon colored Keyblade was gripped tightly in the young girl's hand, thin metal strands forming a heart around the handle. A Keychain that was half of the Heartless symbol and half the Organization's symbol hung from the end, and the blade itself sported silver inscriptions that formed words...

_Distant hearts, when rejoined as one...  
may find the light within..._

Riku looked up at Takara, a hint of sadness in his eyes. He could've sworn he heard her laugh. "Don't feel sorry for me." She dismissed the weapon, clenching the hand it had been in tightly when it was gone. "I got over that a long time ago. King Mickey will come and get me when it's time to meet. Until then, I just want to be left alone." Takara let her hands fall limply to her sides and started walking down the hallway leading to the castle garden. Everyone stayed rooted to the spot, shocked beyond words. A certain silver haired boy, however, followed the sixteen year old girl silently...but she knew of his presence. She kept her original pace, not bothering to turn around and face him.

_Riku...you never know when to give up, do you?_

_--_

(1) That sounds a little scary when you think about it...

(2) HEY! Alliteration!

Review please!! :D


	4. Chapter III: Impossibility & Her Power

The wind swept past her face as Takara swung open the heavy wooden doors leading to the castle courtyard. She smiled at the feeling of bright sunlight hitting her face, but the smile quickly vanished as she remembered who was following her. Takara walked to the middle of the courtyard, crossed her arms over her chest, and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I know you've been following me, Riku."

"Nothing's unnoticed by you, is it?" The boy in question walked up to Takara, standing next to her. Takara shifted a little at his closeness, but Riku didn't notice. "Takara, you've changed."

She scowled. "How so?"

Riku glanced over at her with a hint of...could it be? Worry? "You still look the same. But something's off--"

"How could you even say that? You don't even know me! And maybe, just maybe, Riku, I've changed because I've been running away from darkness for over a year! You have no idea what that's like..." Takara lowered her eyes to the ground, unwilling to meet Riku's cold gaze.

"You'd be surprised...how much we're the same." Takara whipped her head up, her butterscotch eyes hostile. "I just tried to kill you, and you come here to fix my emotional problems? I tell you Key-boy, you've got guts. Why should you even care? I'm just a girl from your past....someone you tried to capture a long time ago. I was your target—your--your mission. That's all. Nothing less, nothing more. Now...heh...I'm a hopeless princess, running away from my problems like—like some coward. Let me just tell you something, Riku."

Riku's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Princess?"

Takara turned her whole body towards him, and pointed a finger at his chest. " Look, I'm not gonna explain that to you. At least, not now. I have to contain myself for Kairi's sake. But I don't need your sympathy. I don't need anyone's sympathy. I just--" She broke off mid-rant when something cold settled in the palm of her hand, and a warm hand encircled around her fingers as it bent them closed. Takara raised her eyes up to see Riku's and his lips were turned up into a half-smile. His voice was barely a whisper when he spoke. "I promised myself, a long time ago, that I'd give this back to you."

Takara's breath was stuck in her throat, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't see anything but those aquamarine eyes that threatened to pull her down into their depths....

_NO! AHH!! Why am I thinking this way?_

She cleared her throat, leaving her hand entwined with Riku's. "Um...thank—th--" _Come on, say it right! _"Thankyou!" The words came out in a rush, and an unwanted warmth spread on Takara's face as she clasped her hand tighter around her necklace. A quiet laugh escaped from Riku's mouth as he stared down at the young girl, and for the first time since he had seen her, he focused on her appearance. Her auburn hair had become longer, it was past her shoulder blades now, but not quite halfway down her back. Her butterscotch eyes were still the same as ever, except in the sunlight they shone a bright hazel. She wore a dress very similar to Kairi's, except the color was a mix between aquamarine and sky blue.

_She looks...beauti—huh? What? Dang it, why am I thinking this way?_

Riku lowered his eyes, and Takara tilted her head to the side, puzzled at his reaction. He bit his lip, ripped his hand away from hers and took a couple of steps back. "You're—you're welcome."

Takara smirked. "Do I detect a hint of hesitation, Riku? Are---are you blushing?" This remark caused Riku to move even farther away from the girl, earning a wider grin from her. Takara opened her mouth to say something, but a shrill, grating voice interrupted her train of thought. "TAKARA! RIKU! YOU BOTH BETTER NOT BE OUT THERE ALONE! THE KING'S HERE! HE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!"

Both teens blushed even more and walked hesitantly towards the door, meeting an impatient Donald. Takara scoffed and rolled her eyes, brushing past the exasperated duck.

**...In the Library...**

Sora, Riku, Kairi, Takara, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey (1) were now all in the library, sitting in a circle of chairs in the center of the room. Takara smiled as she thought back a few moments before when Riku and King Mickey greeted each other with a friendly hug. It was the only time she had ever truly seen him happy. His aquamarine eyes had seemed to sparkle with new life, and something had made Takara's heart beat faster while she watched him. Fiddling with her hands, she now mentally chastised herself for that childish reaction.

_Don't be stupid. You hardly even know him! What do you expect? That he's gonna fall in love with you in a matter of days? News flash: Love doesn't work that way. (2)_

"Welp, now that we're all here, I suppose we should get down to business. Sora, Riku, Kairi, do you know why you're here?"

Sora scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Um...well, we know we were supposed to meet Takara, and that she can wield a Keyblade, but...that's about it."

"You've got most of the information you need already. Takara here..." The King motioned over to the sixteen year old girl seated next to him; she smiled slightly in return, but kept her eyes glued to the floor. "...after you left Hollow Bastion, or should I say, Radiant Garden, Kairi, the whole world was thrown into a panic. Apparently, you were supposed to be their princess when you became of age. Their last ruler, A--" King Mickey hesitated a bit before saying his name, "Ansem was kind, up until he started performing those experiments. After he left, a new ruler was needed to take his place. Years passed, and the citizens were thrown into a frenzy."

Kairi could only blink at this new information. "So—if I wouldn't have left...I would have been the princess of that world?"

King Mickey nodded. "According to the Council of Radiant Garden, the next in line for the throne was Takara. She had a guardian at that time, and they accepted for her. She's been their princess ever since. About two years ago, before Sora had ever visited that world, another huge mass of Heartless threatened to capture the world's heart for a second time." The small mouse turned to Takara, evidently expecting her to continue the story. She took a deep breath and continued from where the King had left off.

"I tried holding off the swarm of Heartless myself, with the aid of a couple of my friends. Of course, you all know Leon and the gang...." Sora, Riku, and Kairi nodded.

"It was to no avail. We were immensely outnumbered. In order to protect me, Merlin conjured up a Dark Corridor (3) and sent me through it. I woke up in Traverse Town, and lived there until Leon and everyone else followed. Then, Riku, I met you." The strength of the words in her last sentence startled Riku and he looked up at her in surprise. The girl could only smile at him. "I've been running from world to world each time a villain gets close to me." Takara shuddered. "Maleficent almost got me once."

King Mickey jumped down from his chair and faced the four of them. "I need you all to protect Takara with your lives. Escort her to wherever she needs to go, and whatever you do, don't let Maleficent get a hold of her. Her heart is far too important..."

Riku spoke for the first time. "Why exactly is that, Your Majesty?"

Takara stepped forward, and Riku noticed her heart charm dangling limply from a silver chain around her neck. "Through this necklace, and my heart itself, I have the power to create Heartless and Nobodies at will. My heart is forever in contact with Kingdom Hearts. If I lose it to someone else, or if they take the power within it...they could rule all the worlds in a matter of hours."

Kairi looked taken aback. "How long have you known about this, Taki? When we were growing up...you never said anything."

Much to everyone's surprise, Takara could only laugh. "I didn't quite understand it myself, Kai. I—still don't." Sora and Riku stepped forward. Sora was smiling, but on the other hand, Riku had an expression conveying so much anger and regret. When Takara noticed this, she felt a pang of guilt, as if she was responsible for his hurt.

_What's wrong with him?_

"Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you. Promise!" Takara could only smile at Sora, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. She was too focused on Riku to notice anything else.

"Are you all ready? Donald and Goofy have your Gummi ship loaded and ready to go!" The sound of King Mickey's voice jolted all four of the teenagers out of their thoughts and they whirled around to face the tiny mouse. Nodding simultaneously, they made their way out of the library doors, walking down the hallways leading down to the Gummi ship hangar.

On an impulse, Takara ran up to Riku, grabbed his hand, and gave it a little squeeze. He looked up at her in response. She leaned over to whisper in his ear: "Don't worry. Everything will be fine." She let go, running ahead of the group towards their destination.

Once Takara was gone, a snicker emerged from behind Riku. The source? The one and only Sora. "What's so funny, Sora?"

"You like her, don't you?" Sora smiled, placing his hands behind his head.

Kairi giggled. "Come on, Riku! Don't be shy!"

Riku fought to keep a blush from heating his face as he replied. "Don't be ridiculous! I barely even know her!"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure..."

Riku turned back around, and his eyes darted around nervously, as if watching for some unseen enemy.

_Sora and Kairi are ridiculous. I barely even know the girl, so how can I like her? It's impossible...right?_

_..._**_Author's Notes..._**

**_(1) Whew! That sure is a lot to type up!_**

**_(2) Or does it? ;D_**

**_(3) a.k.a. Those dark portal thingys that all the Organization members use to get around everywhere..._**

**_P.S. Bleh....I don't like this chappie, except for all the Riku/Takara fluff. Buuuut....I needed a chapter to give...eh...SOME of the background info for Taki, so....might as well get it over with now._**

**_Reviews appreciated! :D_**


	5. Chapter IV: The Promise

"Sora. That's the fourth time in a row that I've beaten you. Would you just give up already?"

"NO! I always win at this! We're gonna play again!" Takara sighed, and held her head in her hands. In order to alleviate their boredom, Sora had dug around the gummi ship looking for something to do, when he found a deck of cards. He had insisted that everyone play Go Fish, but the only willing competitor had been Takara. Much to her dismay, she was beginning to regret her small act of kindness. Sora had insisted he was the all-time champion of the popular card game, but unfortunately for him, Takara had now beaten him four times in a row.

"Sora, when are you gonna get it through your thick head of outrageously spiky hair that you can't beat me? I think you're just a sore loser." Takara crossed her arms over her chest and raised one eyebrow; Sora's face became absolutely livid. He seemed ready to explode with anger when Kairi called him over. "Sora, stop bothering Taki and come here. Teach me how to drive the gummi ship!" Sora had practically jumped out of his chair at her request, and Takara stifled a laugh.

_Those two are meant to be..._

Which made Takara's mind shift to a subject she didn't want it to be focused on. _Riku. _She saw him, standing there by the transparent glass window, the light of the faded green stars shining in his equally colored green eyes. The sky was dark now—it was past ten o'clock. Suddenly, Takara found herself rising from her chair and walking over to him. He didn't even turn around to look at her.

The girl swallowed loudly, causing her cheeks to become a slight tinge of red. _Well, this is going well....come on you idiot, say something!_

"Riku?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I..ask you something?" Riku cast an annoyed glance at Takara, earning a scowl from her. "That is why you're here, isn't it?"

She scoffed. "Stop being so....cynical!" He turned back to the window, a small smile on his lips. Takara took a deep breath and proceeded to ask her question. "Back at the castle...you know, in the library...when I mentioned my 'power'," she illustrated quotation marks with her hands, "...why did you—why did you look so hurt? I haven't done anything, have I?" Takara couldn't believe how childish and submissive she sounded. Riku was right—she had changed.

Riku abruptly looked down at the floor, then straight into Takara's eyes. "I—I had remembered what you said earlier. About me causing all this. And—you were right. If I hadn't—succumbed to the darkness, then this wouldn't have happened. A lot of the stuff in our lives wouldn't have happened..." Riku's mind ran through memories of Kairi, lying cold, still and lifeless, and him nearly killing Sora, his heart overcrowded with darkness...he shuddered.

Suddenly, Takara's voice broke his chain of memories. (1)

"Would I still have met you...if you hadn't succumbed to the darkness?" Her eyes displayed innocence, but as Riku looked deeper into them, he could almost catch a double meaning in her words. "P—probably not." She smiled, and turned to the stars.

"Then I wouldn't have it any other way."

Riku's eyes widened: did she really mean what she just said? "Huh?" _Oh, great, Riku, what an intelligent response..._

"I said, I'd rather have had you succumb to the darkness, and capture me then me never having met you. I know that sounds twisted, but if you hadn't come along, I don't know what I would have done."

Riku tilted his head to the side, causing Takara to stifle a laugh. For a boy of sixteen, he looked so childish at that moment. "What do you mean?"

"Believe it or not, I was pretty close to choosing darkness myself. Even though I am a princess, and one connected to Kingdom Hearts at that, my heart should be invulnerable to darkness, right? But I'm not like Kairi. I can convert to the darkness if I want to...there's no stopping the creation of my Heartless or Nobody. I felt so alone in Traverse Town...I lived on my own for a couple of months until Leon and everyone showed up. But when I met you, and saw how you would change, I thought better of my actions and decided to choose a better path." A bright light much like the one before emitted from Takara's hand, and Riku expected the Keyblade from before to appear as her weapon. But instead, it was his Keyblade that materialized into the young girl's hand, it was the handle of **his **weapon that her fingers encircled. "That's—my Keyblade."

Takara smiled. "Yes..."

Both Takara and Riku spoke in unison, "The Road to Dawn." They looked up, smiling at each other, and the legendary weapon dissipated into thin air. Riku cast a questioning glance at the girl. "Why?"

She looked down, her eyes full of speculation. "I don't know. Maybe it's because...it's destiny. Ugh. Who am I kidding? That's the most cheesiest line in the book!" Riku laughed, and Takara soon joined in.

"Haven't you noticed, Taki? Everything in our lives is either impossible, unbelievable, or just plain...strange..."

Takara gasped and looked up at Riku in admiration. "You called me Taki."

Again, the same annoyed glance from before settled on Riku's face, and he reached a hand up to ruffle the top of the girl's head. "Yeah, so?"

Despite her aggravation at Riku's gesture, Takara managed to smile. "Only two people have ever called me that before. Kairi and--" Takara suddenly stopped short, her face falling as she remembered the second person's name.

"Who else, Taki? What's wrong?"

"The second person was...Tai. He was a good friend of mine that lived in Hollow Bastion with me until we got separated. I don't know what happened to him after that..." Takara's eyes became watery, and she raised her hand up to her eyes to catch any stray tears that may have been falling. "Takara, are you—all right?"

The girl smiled faintly. "Yeah. I'm...fine. Riku...don't ever leave me, okay?" She looked up at him with almost adoring eyes and held out her right hand, her pinky finger extended. Riku's breath caught in his throat for a second, and time seemed to stop when she uttered those simple words...

_Don't ever leave me, okay?_

He smiled back at her, wrapping his pinky around hers. "I promise," he whispered.

**_...Author's Notes..._**

**_(1) No pun intended...XD_**

**_Reviews appreciated! :D_**


	6. Chapter V: Reunion

Takara raised her arms, and stretched, working the cramps out of her muscles from sitting in the Gummi ship for nearly three hours. The bright sunlight that reflected on the now pale neon signs shone in Takara's eyes, turning them the color of cherry wood. She smiled at the sight of her familiar hometown, Radiant Garden. The bustling people, the ever present optimistic atmosphere—everything was perfect about this place. Except today—something was off. There was an unfamiliar presence in the town that Takara couldn't recognize. She shrugged, dismissing it.

She whirled around to Riku, Sora, and Kairi, showing them a blinding smile full of perfectly straight teeth. She soon focused her gaze on Kairi, whose eyes were wide with admiration. Takara giggled—her expression was as excited as one of a child in a candy store. "Kai, you're home." Kairi smiled back at her, nearly in tears. "It feels good to be back—y'know? All those memories of racing through the streets? As i remember—hehe—you were always mad at me because I beat you at nearly every race!"

Takara grumbled. "That's not true! We're going to have to have a rematch sometime soon..."

"Takara Hisaishi? Princess Takara? Is that you?" A familiar black-haired seventeen year old ran up to greet the four teens, an enormous smile on her face. Takara smiled back in response and ran up to greet her long time shuriken-wielding friend. "Yep, the one and only!" Yuffie wrapped her arms around Takara in a bone-crushing hug, and soon acknowledged the rest of the group. "Oh, hey, Sora, Kairi, Riku! I would say long time no see, but it really hasn't been that long, sooo—OH! Leon and the gang will wanna know you're here! Come on!"

Takara chuckled. _Same old Yuffie, hasn't changed a bit..._

The four of them started to follow Yuffie through the narrow streets of Radiant Garden, with Kairi and Sora walking ahead of Takara and Riku. Takara breathed in deeply, smelling the familiar scents of her childhood home, now her kingdom. She sighed—there was bound to be plenty of work to do.

"Something wrong?" Riku's voice remained indifferent, impassive, but Takara knew that behind that, there was truth to his words.

"Oh, not really, just—thinking about how much I've missed this place. Two years is a long time to be away from home..."

Riku looked straight ahead, focusing his eyes on the newly restored castle looming on the outline of the horizon. "Yeah. So where're are all the massive crowds welcoming you home, and the royal procession and all that?"

Takara scoffed. "Oh, don't worry. Once they learn I'm here, it'll be impossible for me to go out in public. I mean, anywhere. Of course, there are exceptions."

Riku was startled when Takara turned to him, winking.

Finally, the familiar door of Merlin's House was in front of them, and Yuffie stood to the side of it, gesturing for Takara to be the one to open it. But she was hesitant—what if they were mad at her, disappointed for running off again? Suddenly, a hand on Takara's shoulder made her look up at the person who it belonged to...Riku.

Just like she had before, Riku leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Don't be afraid. Everything will be fine." She cast him a grateful smile then took two steps forward, opening the door.

Leon, Cid, Aerith, Merlin, and even Cloud were crowded around the huge computer that took up half the space in the tiny bungalow. Takara couldn't suppress a giggle—they were exactly the way she remembered them.

Clearing her throat, she clasped her hands in front of her, and struggled to keep her voice strong as she spoke. "Guys? I'm...home." They all whirled around to face her, startled and confused looks on their faces. But as seconds passed, those stares grew to be ones of complete happiness and relief. Aerith was the first one to walk up to her. "You're back." Both girls hugged, Aerith's crystal green eyes sparkling. Cid was the next to come up, and Takara shook his head as his appearance. Scraggly, beard, unkempt hair, and a toothpick in his mouth—always impatient and busy. "Well, kid, it's about time you got back here and started acting like a girl instead of the gun-shootin', legendary weapon-wielding tomboy I know you are."

In other words, that meant, "I'm so glad you're home."

"I missed you too, Cid!" Takara wrapped the grumpy old man in a vice-tight hug, and surprisingly, with no complaints from the man himself. Leon did very much the same, a small smile on his lips. Takara sighed. He was the only one out of the group that treated her like a princess. True, he was her friend, but he was very reserved around her.

_I'm still the same no matter what...I'm still the same Takara...._

"I knew you'd be all right." The deep, calming voice that reached Takara's ears made her smile, and she recognized the person as Cloud. She looked up at his tall towering figure, his blond spiky hair hanging in front of his face, and his light blue eyes seemed clearer now that Sephiroth was dormant—for a while, at least. "Cloud! You're home!" Earning another hug from him, Takara's heart was so full of joy that it seemed about to burst.

Kairi watched her friend reunite with her companions, while Sora put his hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Riku stood with his back against the door, watching Takara with those cold aquamarine eyes of his. She cast a glance in his direction, and motioned with her hand for him to come over, but he stubbornly stayed where he was.

_What's wrong with him?_

As soon as that thought entered her mind, Riku opened the door, walking out. Takara detached herself from her friends' welcoming gestures and compliments on how much she had grown up. She walked outside, where Riku was standing in the middle of the cobblestone courtyard. "Do you sense that?" Riku didn't even have to ask: there were definitely Heartless in the area.

"Look out!!" Takara spun around at Riku's warning, seeing a Neoshadow looming over her shoulder. A scream threatened to escape her lips, but in less than a second, her Keyblade materialized in her hand, and she sliced through it with ease. Her eyes narrowed in anger as she saw a swarm of them coming towards both her and Riku, and they both ended up standing back to back, guarding the other.

"What the heck is this?" Takara swung repetitively through the mass of Heartless in front of her, her anger grew with each hit.

"Don't know! Just keep--" The sound of Riku's voice soon ceased over the panic that the Heartless were creating, and no matter how much Takara called out his name, Riku wouldn't answer.

"Riku! Riku! Where are you? Answer me, you idiot!"

Caught off guard, one of the Neoshadows swiped her Keyblade out of her hand, and she was rendered weaponless. The Heartless relentlessly clawed at her face, her arms, and soon her whole body was covered in deep gashes and cuts. Her eyes threatened to close, but all of a sudden, a hand grabbed her own and pulled her to her feet. Strong arms wrapped around her body, supporting her weight. "Takara, don't worry, I'm here."

"Riku?" Takara forced herself to open her butterscotch eyes, only to rest them on her savior's face. But the eyes she met were not the aquamarine ones she had been **hoping (1)** to see, they were unfamiliar and strange. They consisted of the deepest blue—they were almost a navy color.

Suddenly, it clicked in her mind and Takara gasped in recognition.

"No, it's me, Taki...it's Tai."

And then, for about the second time in her life, Takara let the sweet sleep of unconsciousness consume her.

_...Author's Notes..._

_(1) Hint, hint....._

_Ooh...CLIFFY!! Hehe....._

I feel kinda "iffy" about this chapter. It started off good, but eh.....IDK. You be the judge.

P.S. Sorry if this chappie makes Taki seem kinda Mary-Sue-ish. That's not her at all!

_Reviews appreciated! :D_


	7. Chapter VI: Realization

Okay, okay, okay, I'm sorry! I've been really busy as of late with...stuff and I haven't been able to write. I know this isn't a new chapter, but I'll get to that soon. The first Chapter 6 I had contained too many flaws (since I wrote it at about 12:30 am one day) and it skipped around a lot of stuff, so hopefully this makes more sense now...

Again, I'm really sorry for all the waiting and I will try to get the next chapter out either later today or..well, tomorrow.

**Disclaimer (haven't done one of these in a while, so I'd just thought I'd throw it in here): Come on. Seriously. If I owned Kingdom Hearts, or FF, I would have replaced Kairi with my OC. But that's not gonna happen. **

_(By the way, the song I listened to while writing the part on the balcony and in the audience chamber (keep reading you'll see what I mean...) was "Bella's Lullaby" composed by Carter Burwell. I'm a Twilight fan...what can I say?)_

* * *

"_Tai, wait up!"_

"_Come on, Taki, you were the one that was bragging you could run faster than me!" _

"_I know, but seriously...jeez, what's up with you today, Tai? You seem a little...off."  
"Eh, it's nothing. I was just thinking. You know those Heartless that everyone's been talking about?"_

"_Yeah, what about them?" _

"_You think—you think they're really, y'know, evil?"_

"_Of course they are! There the things that come out of the darkness in people's hearts!" _

"_Well, what if they could—you know what? Just forget it. Come on, let's race again!"_

"_Wait! You aren't—planning anything, are you, Tai?"_

"_Taki, you worry too much! I'll always be with you."_

"_Promise?"_

"_Promise."_

_

* * *

_

"Hmm...what? Where—am I?" Takara's butterscotch eyes fluttered open and she focused them on a marble-tiled ceiling. She was way too comfortable, surrounded by an immense sea of pillows and blankets. "What--? Kairi? Riku...?" She gasped and shot up in alarm, remembering the last thing that had happened. "Riku!"

"He's not here." Takara whirled to the side, facing the person who had just spoken to her. His navy eyes were impassive and dark, the corners of his mouth turned down into a frown. Takara jumped off the bed, calling her Keyblade, and narrowed her eyes at this boy. "What have you done to me?" The boy stood up and withdrew two samurai swords from sheaths on his back. "I'm hurt, Taki. How could you not remember?It's me, your best friend, Tai." In one quick, swift motion, Tai swung one of his swords around his body and released it at the perfect moment, sending it swinging towards Takara. It was coming too fast for Takara to block, so she could only cringe at the sight of the blade coming towards her. The edge caught the collar of her shirt, pinning her back to the nearest wall.

_Shiitake mushrooms. _

She struggled to free herself from her temporary imprisonment...but it was no use. "Let me go! Sora! Kairi! Ri--!"

"I told you, he's not here!" Tai's eyes were a glowing, golden yellow and small tendrils of darkness wrapped around his hands and feet, lifting him up into the air. Soon, his whole body was engulfed in an inky blackness, and Takara fought to keep her mind and heart under control.

_This isn't him. This isn't the Tai I remember. _

"Tai, come on! What's wrong with you?" As she spoke, Takara tried loosening herself from the wall, and she could have squealed with glee as her shirt wrenched itself from the blade. _Only a few more inches.... _

"You're not getting off that easy." The shadow Tai reached a hand up, dark claws fully extended, ready to rip out her heart. Takara's eyes widened in fear even more as she relentlessly tried to break free. Suddenly, the door to the room flew open, revealing a panic-stricken Riku. "Takara?" His Keyblade was gripped in his hand and he leaned against the door frame for support. His face went from panic to anger in a matter of seconds as he realized what was going on. "Get away from her!" Riku narrowed his eyes venomously at the dark form of Tai towering over Takara.

"No, Riku, don't! He--" A sudden slap to the face followed by claws raking over her shoulder caused Takara to scream out in agony, and the pain made her rip herself away from the blade. She collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily. A hand lifted her chin up, and her eyes met deadly golden ones. She shuddered. "We never have to be apart if you're a Heartless too. You can just leave everyone and everything behind and come back to the darkness with me."

_Riku, don't ever leave me, okay?_

_Promise._

"No," she whispered softly. "I had someone promise me something, and I promised him the same thing too. I'm not leaving him!" Her maroon colored Keyblade materialized into her hand again and Takara swung blindingly at Tai. His form flew halfway across the white marble room and crashed into an intricately carved wooden table. Takara stood up, her eyes cold and unfeeling. She raised her hand up to eye level, and flicked her index finger towards Riku. A barrier separated him from her. "No! Takara, are you crazy?"

She smirked. "Maybe. Aren't we all?" Bringing her hand back to her face, Takara drew her thumb and middle finger together and snapped; a clear, loud sound that resonated throughout the whole room.

Her heart pendant emitted a dark violet light and turned the walls the color of blackest night. Takara's lips formed into a peaceful smile and whispered one word. "Come."

The light on her necklace shone brighter and an army of about one hundred Neoshadows appeared behind her, unmoving. Takara pointed her hand towards Tai, who was now on his feet, glaring at the mass of Heartless. "Go attack him. You have one minute." They did as they were told, moving their long, slender legs towards their target, then running towards him with a backbreaking speed. While her Heartless were busy, Takara snapped her fingers again, and this time a stunning array of Dancers appeared behind her, their pink scarf-like garments flowing around them. "When they're through, you go. Thirty seconds."

In a matter of minutes, the Dancers were upon their prey, the graceful assassins they had become known to be. Takara snapped her fingers yet again, and all of the Nobodies and Heartless vanished into thick pools of darkness. Shadow Tai stood in the center of the room, fading to reveal the form of a boy. His shoulder length black hair was straight and his navy eyes returned to their original color. The form of his Heartless faded away until he was standing there, in front of Takara, his eyelids heavy.

"Sorry, Taki. That reunion wasn't what I had expected." He collapsed.

"Tai, no!" She ran to him, arms outstretched to catch his falling body. The weight of him nearly sent her falling to the ground, but she withstood gravity's pull and rested Tai lightly on the ground. His breathing was slow and steady, but the aura around him reeked of darkness. "Oh, Tai...what have you become? Is this—is this what I've done to you?"

"Takara!" The barrier separating Riku from the room vanished and he ran over to the princess. She turned to face him, a hopeless look on her face. "At this rate, I'll kill all my friends before I turn seventeen. Oh, Riku, what have I done to him?"

Takara collapsed into Riku's arms, unaware of what she was doing. She cried her eyes out, feeling immense guilt for everything she had done to her friend.

_First Kairi, then Tai...who's next? Riku?_

This thought only made her cry even harder, and by this time, Riku had secured a firm hold on the crying girl, wrapping his arms around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder and cried into the collar of his shirt.

When she finally stopped sniffling, Takara unwound herself from Riku's unsure embrace. She refused to meet his eyes.

_What's more pitiful than losing to a couple of Neoshadows when you can control them in front of a guy? Oh yeah, crying in front of him._

"Sorry—I normally don't....I didn't mean to..." Takara was at a loss for words, and Riku could only blink, still reeling in shock from what he had just seen.

"Don't, Takara. You don't have to explain. Somehow, I understand. It's not your fault, not by a long-shot. He'll get better, don't worry."

Takara managed a weak smile and turned back to her friend's lifeless form. Suddenly, her eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Where am I? And where are Kairi and Sora?"

Riku laughed, despite the tension in the room. "I'll explain after we get help for Tai."

* * *

"Oh my, this is quite serious. In fact, it's not good at all. You say, he _attacked _you using the power of darkness? I'm sorry to say this, Takara, but that's not very surprising."

Riku and Takara had taken Tai to Merlin's House in order to see what the wizard could do for him. Tai's body lay outstretched on Merlin's small bed, his black hair hiding his face, his chest rising evenly with each breath. Takara looked down at him fondly. She reached a hand down to him, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"What are you talking about, Merlin? What—what happened to him?"

The white-haired wizard scratched his head and looked down at the floor in thought. "'Well, after you disappeared, Tai went searching frantically for you. He wouldn't stop to eat, sleep, or even think straight while you were gone. Leon and the others, myself included, tried to bring some sense into that boy's head. A couple of months had gone by while we were still here, and we received word that Maleficent had returned to Radiant Garden."

Takara narrowed her eyes in anger. "Don't tell me what you're about to say..."

Merlin nodded his head sadly, and placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "Yes, my dear. Maleficent convinced him. He gave into the darkness to try to find you."

"But he's not all bad! He stopped attacking me!"

"Only _after_ he had hurt you. Tai's case is a very special one, my dear. He had given into the darkness, that is true, but he has not fully overcome it. The power still remains his. His heart will always be overshadowed."

Takara glared at Merlin, and pushed his hand off her shoulder. "That's not true! Tai's not evil, and you know it. The light will always be there."

Merlin sighed, took off his glasses, brushed them off, and replaced them back on his face. "I know. The question is, how much light remains?"

Merlin poofed away in an instant into a white, misty cloud, leaving Takara alone and heartbroken. She slumped down to the floor, both of her hands grabbing one of Tai's cold ones.

"I'm so sorry, Tai," she whispered. "I should have never left you."

"Takara?"

The girl's head snapped up at the sound of Riku's voice, and she turned her head to see the rough wooden door of Merlin's House creak open, revealing a tall, silver-haired boy.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here, but King Mickey needed to talk to me and--where's Merlin?"

Takara shook her head, waving a hand in the air. "He's gone. We got into an argument over Tai."

Riku shut the door behind him, and walked over to where Takara sat.

"Wanna tell me about it?"

"Merlin said that after I left, Tai was persuaded by Maleficent to use the power of darkness to find me."

Riku's eyes narrowed in anger. "Go on."

"He traveled from world to world to try to find me, but he finally came back from the darkness. Problem is, the darkness isn't fully gone. He's--" Takara cut off suddenly, and Riku looked at her questioningly.

"What is he?"

"He's not as strong as you, Riku. He couldn't live in both light and dark. He's not like us. He's not Twilight. I guess...some people, no matter how much you care for them, aren't meant to live in the light."

Riku could only look at Takara in amazement: he was strong?

_I'm nothing compared to her..._

"Thank you," he mumbled.

"You're welcome."

"Come on." Riku grabbed Takara's hand and pulled her to her feet. He smiled at her, and towed her out of Merlin's House and into the busy streets of the city. "We need to get you out of here. I know somewhere we can go."

Takara raised one eyebrow. "Two things, Key-boy. One, and I quote, "we"? Two, I probably know this "place" better than you do."

Riku smirked, but nonetheless, kept leading Takara onward. "Yeah, you probably do."

_

* * *

_

Riku and Takara now sat on the edge of a balcony overlooking the entire city of Hollow Bastion. The sun was just beginning to set and Takara swung her feet back and forth through the air. "I can't believe it. I'm back at the castle." Sure enough, the familiar sight of the Rising Falls greeted Takara's eyes and her heart swelled with happiness.

Riku laughed quietly. "It's funny to think that almost two years ago, I woke up in that exact spot, down there," Riku pointed to a section of the falls partially hidden by one of the castle's looming towers, "and had no idea where I was. Now...I'm back."

Takara's auburn hair flew about her face with a sudden breeze, sending the scent of honeysuckle and roses into the air.

"Hmm, it's strange. I never thought I'd be back here...Riku, what happened out in the courtyard? When we were fighting those Heartless, I couldn't hear you."

"I don't know. I was calling to you, as loud as I could, but I guess...the darkness has a funny way of messing with things. Makes you feel cut off from everyone you care about."

"I know the feeling. Hmph...I really don't want to go back inside. I know I have some "governing" to do since I've been gone so long, and I have a Council Hearing coming up, but...Who knows what awful monstrosity they call a "dress" they're gonna force me to wear looks like?" Takara shuddered. "If there's one thing I haven't missed, it's being a princess." She stood up, facing towards the sun. Riku did the same, a smirk on his face.

"I thought all girls wanted to be princesses when they grew up."

"Hmm. Not the smart ones. Not being able to choose for yourself, having to accept so much responsibility at a young age, being portrayed as the damsel in distress every single time there's a fight," Takara glanced annoyingly at Riku, "having to make decision after decision, ruling a world all on your own, and of course, not being able to pick who you marry."

"What!?" That last question hadn't exactly come out as Riku had planned it, and he bit his lip in frustration.

_Way to be cool, calm, and collected..._

Takara blinked in astonishment. "You didn't know?" She laughed without humor. "I have no choice whatsoever in who I marry. Doesn't matter who I fall in love with—my husband is chosen for me. Kind of sad, really..."

"But...you aren't—free. That makes no sense. It's not fair..." Riku' s voice held a twinge of sadness, undetectable—except to Takara.

"Why? Do you know someone who—loves me?" Takara struggled to meet Riku's aquamarine eyes, but he averted them from her face.

His usual expression of coldness and indifference settled on his face again, and Riku met Takara's anxious stare with passive eyes. "No." He shrugged. "Just curious, and I got a little carried away, that's all. Besides, don't you have somewhere to be?"

Just then, a clock somewhere far in the distance rung six times, and Takara's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh my gosh, they're gonna kill me! Come on Riku, I can't be late!" She grabbed his hand, pulling him through large ornate wooden doors towards the main hallway of her castle.

Riku chuckled in amusement at the girl's rushed and frantic appearance as she sped to her room, leaving Riku in a blind daze when she was finally gone.

* * *

"This room will now come to order!"

Almost every citizen in Radiant Garden was gathered in the ridiculously large audience chamber awaiting Takara's arrival. Sora, Riku, Kairi, Goofy, Donald, and King Mickey stood closest to the throne, Keyblades and various weapons out and ready to protect the princess at all costs.

Large, purely white ceiling-to-floor doors marked the entryway for the city's princess, and her throne was a white chair studded with clear, diamond crystals.

Suddenly, a loud voice echoed throughout the room. " The citizens of Radiant Garden will now welcome Princess Takara Hisaishi!"

The white doors swung open, revealing a sixteen-year-old girl standing before them, looking more like an angel than anyone had ever seen.

Her dress was the same color as Riku's eyes—a mix between a green and blue, and her hair sported loose curls. Her eyes were lit up like stars in the night sky, and she walked with purpose, her head held high, unafraid of anything that the worlds could throw at her.

She made her way towards her throne, a roll of red carpet lay beneath her feet, separating the crowds of people on either side. As seconds passed, she finally stood in front of them, an angelic smile on her face.

Riku couldn't help but stare at her, much to the amusement of Sora and Kairi. Her appearance sent a wave of memories through his head.

"_Twilight."_

"_My heart is full of darkness. There is no light there..."_

"_You're wrong."_

"_We're not as different as we think."_

"_We will meet again, I promise."_

"_I feel...that she can help me overcome this darkness."_

"_Don't feel sorry for me."_

"_I promised myself, a long time ago, that I'd give this back to you."_

"_Would I still have met you...if you hadn't succumbed to the darkness?"_

"_Promise."_

It was then that he knew he loved her.

* * *

**.:Author's Notes:.**

Yeesh, that seems like a mouthful to swallow! Sorry, about all the memory flashbacks and whatnot, it's just I really like putting those in my stories. I need to lessen up on that though..

Thanks so much, everyone, for putting up with all my late updates!I hereby give a big, giant, virtual cookie to all of y'all!! XD

_Reviews appreciated! :D_

_kingdomheartsgirl1770 _


	8. Chapter VII: Can you spare a heart?

_Finally, I've updated! Sorry about the long wait...._

_I'm gonna do the author's notes up here this time:_

_(1) Start listening to Sephiroth's theme (the one from KH2) right here! I think I timed the writing pretty well, but it all depends on how fast you read..._

_Aw, darn it! That's a HUGE spoiler right there! Oh well...you're still gonna read it, right?_

_Reviews appreciated! :D_

_P.S. If you don't notice by the end of this chapter: I suck at writing fight scenes. So...don't judge me too harshly._

_Oh, and to all you flamers out there (however many there may be, if none at all)...._

_I know I suck at writing action-y stuff. Don't leave a bogus review to tell me stuff like that. _

_But to everyone else...happy reading!! XD_

* * *

Takara glanced at the assembly of thirteen men that sat around her, their eyes cold as steel. These people made up the Council of Radiant Garden, the governing system in this world. It was the closest thing that political officials could come up with since their last ruler, Ansem the Wise, had died. Takara winced, an expression of pain distorting her beautiful features as she recalled the memory of the kind old man.

_What a shame, to have to die in the place of evil..._

"Princess, may I say that I am so overjoyed to have you home." The cold, unfeeling voice that reached Takara's ears made her groan internally. She knew this Council member all too well.

"I am happy to hear that, Lucius. I trust that you and the rest of the Council are in good health as well."

Lucius nodded his head once in acknowledgement, and continued on with the proceedings.

"Your Highness, we have called this Council meeting in order to discuss the pressing issue of the Heartless that overwhelm this city. Before this world was restored to its original state, the Heartless problem was surprisingly less. But now, the number of these monsters is simply overwhelming. There are not enough warriors to defeat them all, and we need to find solutions. I hereby declare, with Your Highness's permission, of course," Lucius turned his head to the Princess in recognition, "to come up with solutions as to how to solve this unfortunate predicament."

Takara sighed angrily, too quiet for anyone to hear. "Unfortunate predicament?" People were losing their hearts, family members...people they loved...and he called this unfortunate?

_I'm surprised you're not a Heartless yet, Lucius._

Takara bowed her head once, her voice remaining authoritative. "You may proceed. I hereby declare this court...open for suggestions."

One Council member raised his hand, and stood up, his head held high in the air. "I suggest that we recruit an army to defeat the Heartless. Or at least come up with a group that can annihilate them."

Another Council member stood up to argue, his eyebrows knitted together. "You know what happened with that ten years ago! Do you suggest we lose another set of Keybearers? You're idiotic!"

"What about sending out an army of Nobodies?"

"How about striking a deal with that witch, Maleficent?"

"Send the Keybearers out there! They'll take care of it!"

"I suggest we send the Princess herself. She can control Heartless anyway. What better to use her against them?"

"What about--"

"ENOUGH, GENTLEMEN!" A deadly silence filled the air; not one person spoke for fear of being shut down by the Princess's demanding voice.

Takara was now on her feet, her whole body trembling with rage, and her hands clenched into fists at her sides. All the Keybearers, Riku especially, watched Takara with a certain kind of wonder and fear. Their weapons were still at their sides, and they watched her every move, ready to follow her for anything.

Takara took a deep breath before speaking through clenched teeth. "I can see that yelling out pointless and idiotic solutions isn't going to solve this problem. This 'unfortunate predicament' you speak of, Lucius, is more than what you think it is. People are dying, and all you dimwits can do is sit here and argue about it. Well, I am not just going to sit here like some stupid moron and watch my people die. I'm going to go fight for them, and not one of you is going to stop me! Does anyone have any further objections?"

By this time, Takara's voice had grown a little quieter, and she looked around the room with eyes that made Riku's breath catch in his throat and an involuntary shiver go up his spine.

"No? Then this _meeting _is adjourned! Everyone out!" Takara sank to her knees in frustration, burying her head in her hands. Riku made a move to help her, but King Mickey reached a hand up and shook his head.

"No. She needs time, as little there may be, to think."

Riku nodded once and resumed his original position. Sora held an outraged yet sympathetic looking Kairi in his arms; he conveyed a look of sadness on his face as well. Goofy and Donald looked at the young princess uncertainly, and averted their eyes from her trembling figure.

Finally, Riku pushed his way past King Mickey's outstretched hand and walked up the white marble steps to the girl. He knelt down, placed a hand on her shoulder, and whispered softly so only both of them could hear.

"Takara, it'll be all right, I promise. We'll find a way."

She looked up at him with glassy eyes and an expression that made Riku's heart want to break. "How do _you_ know? How do you know this isn't some failed attempt that will end up getting you killed? I have no solution, don't you see? People will keep _dying_ because of _me!_ I don't even think Ansem would have let it get this far..."

"I know who's doing this." A voice resonated throughout the room; everyone whirled around to find the source.

One man stood with his back against a column, his arms crossed on his chest, head down. His blond, spiky hair hung in front of his face and his ice blue eyes had completely frozen solid.

Takara stood up slowly, letting Riku's hand slide off of her shoulder. "Please tell us...Cloud."

"It's Sephiroth."

Takara drew her breath in sharply and closed her eyes. She clenched her right hand into a fist, it soon glowed with a bright light, and seconds later, that light was replaced by her Keyblade. Her butterscotch eyes were no longer that same color...

They were black.

"It's time to end this," she whispered.

* * *

Only Riku, Cloud and Takara journeyed to the Dark Depths; everyone else had stayed at the castle.

The group now stood on the ledge overlooking the ruined castle of Radiant Garden. Takara stepped forward, her auburn hair blowing around her face in the unexpected breeze. The sun was just beginning to set, the light from its rays reflecting off the waters of the Rising Falls.

"You have returned, Princess Takara."

The aforementioned girl spun around sharply, her eyes narrowed. Her Keyblade once again materialized in her hand as she glared at Sephiroth, the one-winged angel.

"Only to find my world torn apart and ravaged by the dark. What is it you seek?"

Sephiroth raised one hand and pointed a finger directly at her. "Your heart."

Out of the corner of her eye, Takara could see Riku summon his Keyblade, his body tensed to lunge at Sephiroth. His green eyes were hidden beneath his silver hair, a furious expression of anger graced his features.

Riku's next words were harsh and cold. "You won't touch her."

Sephiroth turned to the sixteen-year old wielder of twilight, a smirk on his lips.

"And what makes you think you're going to be the one to stop me? I have more power than both you and pitiful Cloud over there combined. Maleficent wouldn't know what to do with that girl's power. It's time I take matters into my own hands, right, Princess?"

A sharp clicking sound reached everyone's ears: Takara had loaded both of her guns and aimed them straight at Sephiroth. She stood, unmoving, her face expressionless.

"I would rather die than fall into the hands of any of you."

Sephiroth's smirk grew wider. "As you wish."

He raised his long silver sword into the air, floated gracefully up towards the sky and lunged at Takara.

She smiled, took a deep breath...

_and closed her eyes. (1)_

A dark portal appeared from behind her, and the Princess vanished.

Sephiroth froze for the tiniest fraction of a second, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

That fraction of a second was all Takara needed.

She reappeared behind Sephiroth, through another dark portal, Keyblade in hand. Raising the weapon above her head, she slashed at Sephiroth wildly, cutting at his arms and torso.

With another powerful swing, Takara sent Sephiroth flying toward Cloud.

The blond-headed warrior nodded once at the girl, and Takara smiled.

It was his turn.

Cloud was the most powerful warrior Takara had ever seen; with his large bandaged sword, he swiped through ten Heartless with ease. He was quiet and contemplative, he studied his opponents before ever going into battle.

And he was strong enough to defeat the embodiment of the darkness in his heart.

Cloud raised his weapon to his side, jumped into the air and let out a war cry as he struck Sephiroth again and again.

Sephiroth countered a couple of times, pushing Cloud back towards the edge of the cliff, but Riku was always there, shooting a few Dark Auras to push Sephiroth back as well.

Takara snapped her fingers again, summoning about thirty-five Neoshadows and sending them off to fight Sephiroth.

It was a distraction, however small it was, to give Takara a chance to jump into the air, point her Keyblade above her head, and send herself spiraling towards Sephiroth.

It was a perfectly timed move...it's just that Sephiroth saw it coming.

In a matter of exactly two seconds, the one-winged angel had unleashed a large orb of dark energy flying towards both Riku and Cloud, knocking them to the ground. Cloud's sword landed a few feet away from him, and Riku's Keyblade stayed in his hand.

Seeing this, Takara gasped, momentarily stunned at the defeat that had befallen her friends. "Cloud! Ri--!"

Takara's shouts were cut off by a hand encircling her neck, squeezing it tight.

She looked up, terrified into the cold eyes of Sephiroth. He held her tighter, cutting off her air supply.

Sephiroth leaned closer to the girl, who was struggling and clawing at the evil man's hands, trying to break free.

He smiled and whispered five words.

"Can you spare a heart?"

Sephiroth raised his sword, aimed it directly at the girl's chest and_ laughed._

Takara cringed, closing her eyes to block out the image of the frightening weapon coming towards her.

Riku's eyes widened in fear; that was the same thing Xemnas had said to Sora in the World that Never Was, right before he had tried to kill him.

Riku wasn't about to let that happen to Takara. Not to her.

"NO!" Riku launched himself up from the ground in one fluid motion, his Keyblade down by his side.

Takara watched him with fearful eyes: he wasn't about to do something stupid, was he?

In one final second, Sephiroth squeezed Takara's neck even tighter and grabbed her right arm, pulled it behind her back, and twisted it—breaking all the bones contained within.

Takara let out a painful cry of agony, letting her eyes droop closed, her body shielding her from the unwanted pain.

Riku was suddenly there, slashing at Sephiroth with all his might, causing him to release the girl in his arms. She plummeted towards the ground, unconscious.

Riku watched with horror as Takara fell toward the ground. She was just about to hit the ground when Sora ran up to the battle, an equally same expression of terror on his face.

"What's going—Takara!"

Suddenly, a purplish blast of light emanated from Riku's Keyblade, surrounding Takara in its light. It encased her body, stopping her fall. She floated gracefully down to the ground, and laid there, unmoving.

"What...?" Riku whispered.

Riku landed firmly on both of his feet, dismissing his Keyblade, rushing over to Takara. He could hear the far off shouts of Sora and Cloud, finishing off Sephiroth. He didn't care.

All he cared about was the unconscious girl in front of him.

"Takara! Wake up! Open your eyes!" Riku cradled her in his arms, her head resting against his chest. Her body being so close to his made him shiver, but he had no time to think about that now.

A wave of pain shot through his body as he realized he was wounded too, but that wasn't the only reason.

About a year ago, that was the same thing that Sora had said to Kairi when she had lost her heart in this very same world.

But he shook those thoughts out of his head: that was impossible, right?

"Mmm...what?" Riku could suddenly see the familiar butterscotch color of Takara's eyes, and she breathed deeply as she regained consciousness.

Her eyes widened as she realized where she was: in Riku's arms.

"Riku?"

He smirked; her voice sounded like that of someone who was pleased but a little frightened.

"Yeah?"

"What just happened?"

Takara didn't receive a verbal answer; rather, Riku's arms wrapped around her tightly, holding her even closer to him. One hand reached up to cradle her head, and Riku stroked her hair.

"I thought you were going to die," he whispered. "I thought I wouldn't be able to save you."

Takara remained speechless, her heart beating faster than she had ever heard it before. She finally came out of her shocked state, only to realize that a searing pain was shooting through her arm, unwilling to let her mind concentrate on anything else. "Ow, arm, arm, arm!"

Riku let go of her quickly, an alarmed look in his eyes. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Heal." A green light emanated from his fingertips, magic swirling around her arm. The break was healed, but there were still remnants of pain.

"Thank you," she whispered. Takara suddenly felt herself being lifted up into the air, still cradled in Riku's arms.

"Wha—what are you doing?"

"I'm taking you to Aerith. She's a much better healer than I am, anyway."

She narrowed her eyes. "I can still walk!"

Riku smirked again. "I think I'll be the judge of that." His arms tightened around the wounded girl, much to her dismay.

Takara finally gave in, and snuggled closer to Riku's chest. He froze for about a tenth of a second, his steps faltering.

Takara could only smile.


End file.
